Mystery Player #86
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 · already played
The answer
Spoiler for the puzzle of Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Today's puzzle is not revealed anywhere on this page.
Dennis Johnson
G · 1976–1990
Dennis Johnson's career
Dennis Johnson played 14 seasons between 1976 and 1990, across 3 franchises — Thunder, Suns and Celtics. Over 1,100 regular-season games he averaged 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5 assists, finishing with 15,535 career points. He was 1× Finals MVP, 5× All-Star, 2× All-NBA and 3× champion.
He entered the league in the 1976 draft, taken 29th overall in the first round. That makes him a product of the 1970s, and his career totals should be read against the pace and rules of that period.
Across a long career of 14 seasons he was a consistent starter at 14.1 points per game.
- Games
- 1,100
- PPG
- 14.1
- RPG
- 3.9
- APG
- 5
- Points
- 15,535
- Rebounds
- 4,249
- Assists
- 5,499
- 3PM
- 80
Teams
- Thunder · 1977–1980
- Suns · 1981–1983
- Celtics · 1984–1990
Honours
1× Finals MVP · 5× All-Star · 2× All-NBA · 9× All-Defensive · 3× NBA champion
How the clues read
Every guess that day was scored against Dennis Johnson across nine categories. These were the values behind the grid.
- Position:
- G
- Debut season:
- 1976
- Status:
- Retired
- Nationality:
- USA
- Teams:
- Thunder, Suns, Celtics
- Points per game:
- 14.1
- Championships:
- 3
- All-Star selections:
- 5
Why this was a fair answer
Answers are never obscure by design: the pool is every NBA All-Star who debuted in the 1969-70 season or later, plus current players carrying a real scoring role. Dennis Johnson qualifies on the first route, with 5 All-Star selections — a repeat selection.
With 3 franchises on his record, the shared-team clue was a genuine filter rather than a giveaway. The debut arrow was the fastest way in: anyone opening with a modern player would have been sent back decades immediately. The 3 championship rings were another strong signal — most of the pool has none.
Play it yourself
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